For over five decades, if you wanted the largest selection of spices, herbs, teas, etc., you went to Buck’s Spices in Olympia. Now, this local institution is sadly shutting its brick-and-mortar location at the end of July. Stop by, shop and talk to them one last time. They will continue to sell a smaller selection on their website.
From Rural Illinois to Olympia Shopkeeper at Buck’s Spices
Current owner Beau Buck reflects on his family’s legacy, which started in rural Illinois. “My mom, Anne Buck, was a born shopkeeper and had several businesses along the way before we moved to Olympia,” he says. “One of my earliest memories of her in business was when, in rural Illinois where we lived, she had an egg route. I remember going to the egg farm, getting eggs, loading them onto a cart that our St. Bernard, Lulu, pulled, and we would walk around the subdivision next to our old home delivering eggs.”
Always an entrepreneur, Anne ran a business out of their backyard when they moved to Olympia, selling antique items like portholes, foghorns, old hatches she had turned into tables, etc. It was called Out of Sight. “My brother Bill would (in theory) ferry customers out in our VW van from downtown at the Yacht Club, and I would tag along as a teenager while she picked treasures out of the old Tacoma ship salvage yards,” Beau shares.
Beau says his mom soon realized antiques were not a very sustainable business, so she looked for something else. “She found the storefront where Buck’s is now and opened a lifestyle store. She called it ‘Buck’s Fifth Avenue’ — in the same script and style as the Saks Fifth Avenue logo, which was very much her sense of humor, he says. “It started as housewares and gradually shifted into consumables, since that’s where the market was: spices, wild mushrooms, a tea room called The Chattery Down, and eventually back to spices and gourmet foods for good.”
That was in 1973. And for the next 53 years, Buck’s Spices would help local and visitors alike enjoy culinary masterpieces of their own creation.
Looking Back on 53 Years of Buck’s Spices
Beau took over the family business in 2019, after his mom passed. He had been helping her run it before then. The store was a way for his mom to connect to customers he shares, especially back then. “Downtown Olympia had a different rhythm back then,” he shares. “People walked to and from work, and they’d stop in on their way home, especially on Fridays, to pick up things for the weekend. She was a great merchandiser and loved curating unusual items — seed toasters, coconut scrapers — long before Amazon or Etsy gave people endless options at their fingertips.”
As for Beau’s favorite part of their retail location, he says: “I’ve always loved the old architecture, the big window, and the feeling of the space. Buck’s was never just a place to buy something. At its best, it was a place where people came in curious, asked questions, tasted something new, and left with an idea for dinner.”
Times have definitely changed, Beau notes. Amazon and Etsy are just two examples of the changes in shopping behavior. Downtown Olympia is different too. The costs of doing business in a physical storefront have exploded. “One hundred percent of my very modest salary was going to pay the rent,” Beau shares on why they are closing the physical location. “We reduced our hours to try to equalize, but between rent, payroll, fees and taxes, and product overhead, it became impossible to sustain the storefront.”
They tried twice to be a vendor at Olympia Farmer’s Market, but were denied. “When pressed, the feedback we got was that maybe we were too old a business. That stung!” shares Beau.
He acknowledges that it’s not just his business that is struggling – it’s all small businesses. “I will say that smaller retailers everywhere are feeling the pinch, not just in Olympia,” Beau shares. “Every dollar spent locally really matters to a small business, even if it doesn’t always feel that way to the customer.”
“I’d love to see neighboring small businesses actually lean on each other more — genuinely support each other, collaborate where they can,” he continues. “We’re all in the same boat. Everyone selling everything is not going to end well. We shouldn’t be eating each other’s lunch when our real competition is Amazon, Walmart, and online shopping in general. When small businesses close, people are usually sad to see them go — but the needed support often comes a little too late. If people want and like independent stores, they need to support them while they’re still open.”
Customer favorites such as their best-selling spice blends and wild mushrooms will continue to be available online. You will also continue to find rarer items such as salep, an orchid powder used in Turkish stretchy ice cream; hormigas chicatanas, ants from Oaxaca used in regional dishes; and Tasmanian pepper berries. “Curating hard-to-find ingredients from around the world has always been one of our strengths, and that won’t stop,” Beau says.
Buck’s Spice is discounting remaining items in the store and encourages people to come visit them this month. And, next time you need something, look for a small, local business before asking Alexa.
Buck’s Spices
209 5th Ave SE., Olympia
Open until July 31, 2026, then shop the Buck’s Spices website.
